University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

Description

This program will prepare students for the field of rehabilitation by learning how to help people with disabilities optimize their vocational potential using counseling techniques and vocational evaluation. Disabilities include persons with physical, mental or social disabilities and range from mental illness, mental retardation, blindness, deafness, alcoholism, epilepsy, and criminal offenses. Core classes emphasis the history, philosophy and development of rehabilitation, while students can pursue 10 different areas of concentration options including community based rehabilitation, criminal justice, independent living rehabilitation, individualized, psychiatric rehabilitation, recreational rehabilitation, rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation technology, social work, and special education certification.

Students can concentrate their studies in these areas: 

• Community Based Rehabilitation » Gain skills for community-based rehabilitation positions such as independent living support and training programs.
  
• Criminal Justice » Prepare to work in positions such as probation and parole agents or probation and correctional treatment specialists.
• Independent Living Rehabilitation » Learn to deal with the critical issues confronting individuals with disabilities in order to help them live more independently.
• Individualized » Limited to students whose educational goals cannot be met by available concentrations. Students who select this option must develop, with advice and consent of their faculty advisor, a list of 22 credits that have a cohesive and logical relationship to the rehabilitation field.
• Psychiatric Rehabilitation » Work in community-based rehabilitation programs or residential programs serving individuals with long-term mental illness.
• Recreational Rehabilitation » Learn to lead recreation and sports activities for individuals with disabilities.
• Rehabilitation Counseling » Develop counseling skills for positions within the rehabilitation field.
• Rehabilitation Technology » Learn to apply new and existing technology to assist people with disabilities in vocational and independent living situations.
• Social Work » Learn to provide various services to aid the disadvantaged and aged and to improve the welfare of children.
• Special Education Certification » Learn to prepare special needs students for adult life. Leads to certification to teach grades 6-12 or K-12 cognitively disabled (severe and borderline) students.
• Substance Abuse Counseling » Prepare for Substance Abuse Counselor licensure, and work in providing services in treatment programs, criminal justice, residential or community-based settings.

High School Preparation

• General admissions criteria
  
  
• Experience working/volunteering with people with disabilities, such as tutoring special education students, volunteering in community work
  
• Involvement in organizations such as ARC (an advocacy group for persons with mental retardation)
  

Careers

• Work experience coordinator
  
• Behavioral specialist
  
• Employment counselor
  
• Rehabilitation specialist
  
• Probation/parole officer
  
• Community corrections counselor
  
• Juvenile justice case coordinator
  
• Independent living coordinator
  
• Case manager/social worker
  
• Residential counselor
  
• Community-based specialist
  
• Activities program director
  
• Vocational evaluator

Average beginning salary for UW-Stout graduates in this major — $31,000
96% employed in 2011–2012

View our Annual Employment Report for more details.

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